Internal Quality Assurance

Internal Quality Assurance Programs

Truesdail’s Quality Assurance Program is established to systematically monitor and evaluate the quality and suitability of the data and services provided by our Environmental testing division. Through our Continual Improvement Program, our QA protocols are designed to establish a process that will not only maintain, but serves to increase the reliability of results produced by our laboratory. Truesdail’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are adopted from both EPA and Standard Water and Wastewater Methods and include Quality Control (QC) requirements and specifications. Quality Control samples make up approximately 15% to 30% of our analytical process and help to ensure the highest quality in every analysis performed at Truesdail.

Some of the Quality control samples run at Truesdail include:

Calibration standard curves

Internal Standards

Initial calibration verification standards (ICV)

Continuing calibration verification standards (CCV)

Second source calibration standards

Internal Blind Quality Control samples

External Quality Control samples (PE samples)

Both Method and Instrument Blank samples

Laboratory Control Samples (LCS)

Matrix spike samples (MS)

Matrix spike duplicate (MSD)

Sample duplicate testing

Internal QC Procedure Summary

Accuracy and precision are critical to any set of analytical results. Our Quality System is developed with this in mind and adds safeguards in our analytical processes to give us the confidence to report defendable and reliable data. Quality Control samples utilized in our analytical process include: blanks, blank spikes, duplicates, MS/MSD, CVS, CCV, CB, ICS A&B, internal standards, surrogate standards, tune solution, LLCV, field blanks, method blanks and more for applicable methods. All data produced undergoes secondary and final review before the final report is issued to the client. With the use of our LIMS to track and streamline the process, clients receive not only the highest quality data, but on-time delivery of the report to meet their deadlines. Truesdail is dedicated to providing quality in our analytical processes as well as quality in our Customer Service.

Specific Internal Quality Control (QC) Activities

Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)

Truesdail specializes in analysis of both volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds to meet standards for drinking water and wastewater regulation as well as hazardous waste characterization. We utilize both GC and GC/MS instrumentation to analyze you sample and determine the concentration of hundreds of individual organic compounds. Our sample batches are structured to ensure integrity in every sample. The sample batches include:

blank QC at the beginning of each run to monitor and prevent crossover contamination

primary and surrogate standards to measure instrument performance and recovery

Inductively Coupled Plasma / Mass Spectroscopy (ICP/MS)

Our laboratory has vast experience in analyzing drinking water, wastewater, hazardous waste, soils and biological samples for trace metals to meet Regulatory requirements such as Title 21, Title 22, RCRA classification, Self-Monitor Reporting, NSF-372 and more. Truesdail houses multiple ICP and ICP-MS instruments enabling us to analyze high volume of samples for various types of industry requirements including Title 22 metals, lead content in plumbing products and cobalt levels in horse racing samples. To assure the utmost quality data to our clients, every batch undergoes rigorous internal quality control requirements, including a multitude of calibration standards being run with each set of samples to ensure instrument performance, blanks to mitigate potential contamination, primary and secondary standards, continuing verification standards, blank spikes, sample duplicates and sample matrix spikes in every batch which are digested and analyzed along with our client samples in order to meet our standard of quality.

General Chemistry

All Wet and General Chemistry analysis performed by Truesdail are analyzed with Quality Control samples meeting or exceeding the EPA or Standard Water and Wastewater Methods requirements. Our SOP’s include guidelines that are requisite to these approved methods and include, but are not limited to the analysis of blanks, blank spikes, sample duplicates, matrix spikes, calibration standards and more to ensure quality data and best practices.

Archives

Truesdail Laboratories is one of the most well established labs in the nation and has been in operation providing the highest quality data since 1931. In our 85+ year tenure, we’ve established many quality milestones and work alongside accrediting bodies such as ANAB, ILAC, ANSI, RMTC, ELAP, AORC, SCC, and SCAQMD.

In maintaining our standing and reputation, Truesdail has adopted and promoted the values and guidelines set forth by these accrediting bodies in the continued effort to provide our clients with quality and dependable data.